THAT'S MY BOY * SAD DESK SALAD

That's My Boy - If I had known this was going to be such a funny and good and sweet movie, I would have seen it at the theater.  Adam Sandler plays the dad, and he is at his best for goofy comedy with heart.  There wasn't a moment of drag in this sometimes raunchy looking movie (channeling the endless desert scene in Hangover, the endless airplane scene in Bridesmaids, and other endless pushed-too-far-we-already-got-the-laugh scenes in so many other movies).  It is like a good read - no wasted words or scenes.  And it's a great little story! 

Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose -  Sometimes you really want chocolate ice cream, and sometimes you see a chick-lit cover and it calls your name with it's smooth satiny texture and bright clear colorful modern graphics.  Both are uncomplicated ways to relax and zone out and feel good for a few minutes.  Such was the case.  Sad Desk Salad takes us through five days in the life of celebrity blogger Alex, who breaks a controversial big story and then has to live with the consequences.  It's easy to read and a good place to go when other parts of your life are busy and stressed (holidays anyone?). 

ROCK OF AGES * RUBY SPARKS

Rock of Ages - For some reason I was under the impression that this was going to be a comedy, but it's actually a musical based on a Broadway play, and it's charming.  A small town girl comes to Hollywood to find fame and fortune, meets a city boy, and together they experience real life.  The music is 1980s rock and roll, the acting is great, and the surprise character actors make the show. 

Ruby Sparks - Ruby Sparks is intelligent, quirky and filled with this wonderful California light that gives the movie an etherial feel.  It's about a young writer and the unusual girl he's dating.  It's not your every day love story;  you've got to pay attention to the little things.  I loved it. 

THE CAMPAIGN

The Campaign - Can you go wrong with Will Ferrell and Zack Galifanakis?  I don't think so!  The laughs start right away, and continue through the entire movie.  I love modern raunchy movies with heart.  Somehow the heart takes away some of the guilty pleasure.  Easy and fun to watch. 

LORD OF MISRULE * A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA

It's funny about my blog.  I have been neglecting it for the longest time while attending to long term projects and new distractions and a super fun Thanksgiving visit from my family.  It's like the blog is a sourdough starter.  It's a living thing that is always there, waiting to be accessed and used and added to, but since it's in the back of the fridge, it's also easy to ignore and even forget.   I never really do forget, though.  Sometimes it's very pleasant to bake bread, and sometimes it's more like something that gets fit in among other tasks and pleasures.  Funny enough, I also use this analogy for my garage sale stuff.  After every sale, I get rid of most of the items that didn't sell.  There are always a few things that was hoping to sell but got left behind.  I box these up into a small container, label it, and hang onto it for the next year.  During the year, a new garage sale pile starts, and when it's finally time, it's so nice to go back to that original starter box where I've also kept the price tags and markers, and to know there are a few really nice things that might sell this year at lower prices.  Just like the sourdough starter, if I really don't want to have a sale that year, the little box sits quietly on the shelf, waiting for its moment in the sun.  
Blog-wise, sometimes the sourdough starter doesn't make as nice a batter, and here at the blogspot, since things have changed, it's not as much fun to write with the new ways of labeling, attaching pictures, etc.  Fonts and colors are all different, too.  There must be an easier way, but of course, there is no one to call.  Just an impersonal "HELP" menu which doesn't help at all.  
I've been reading......

Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon - This one is a National Book Award Winner, but I'm not sure why.  It's difficult to read, which is fine, and the characters do grow on one, which is nice, but it's a story that you don't see where it's going until you are there.  It's about a small time race track in West Virginia and the horses and the small time operators who work the races.   When I was younger, my Uncle Peter took me to the track all the time, and I loved betting and watching the races.  There was something exotic and mysterious about it all.  Uncle Peter loved it, and I have a photo of us in the Winner's Circle.  His horse had won and he was so happy that day.   From that standpoint I read and enjoyed.  

A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes - At some point during the narrative of this charming story about children and pirates, I realized that it might not be a modern book.  Sure enough, with a few pages to go, I checked the copyright page and found that the book was originally copyrighted in 1929!  That's mainly a comment on the writing style which is enjoyable and not so old-fashioned as you might think.  Not necessarily a delightful story, but a delightful read.  For me, anyway.  

PLAYING WITH MATCHES * A GUIDE TO QUALITY, TASTE & STYLE * DREAMING IN CHINESE

Playing With Matches by Carolyn Wall - You know how when you read To Kill A Mockingbird for the first time even if you'd seen the movie, you didn't want it to ever end?  I wanted that book to go on and on into forever and eternity, and I would do nothing but read it always.  No other books required.  Here's a book, albeit with a less than satisfactory title, that lives up to Harper Lee.  Playing With Matches takes place on Potato Shed Road in a Mississippi prison town.  It's about an outspoken girl named Clea and her remarkable family.  It is so good that I will tell you no more.  Clea is the first girl who ever reminded me of Scout Finch and I love the author for the gift of this powerful character. 

  A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style by Tim Gunn - Who doesn't love Tim Gunn, that formal, fun voice of reason and kindness on Project Runway.  You won't learn anything new from his book, but you'll learn about Tim's aesthetic, and here and there you'll revisit some age old basics of style.  

  

                          Dreaming in Chinese  by  Deborah Fallows - The author and her husband lived in China, and she studied the language which is filled with complicated characters and nuance.  If you are a student of the Chinese language or a language aficionado, you might enjoy this account of some of the vagaries of the language, otherwise, read my review or the back cover and go on back to your fiction.  An imaginary world is so much more enticing than the real one!

SEASONS OF SUN * LORD OF THE FLIES

Seasons of Sun by Paula Renee Burzawa - This is one of my favorite books in a long time.  It's a novel about an all american Greek-American 14 year old girl who spend the summers of her teen years in her mother's reletives' village.  Her mom lets her have run of the town and she finds romance, fun and drama living life far from home with new friends and family.  The village becomes her second home, and when she's there it's like her home in a Chicago suburb doesn't exist.  It's a charming story for all ages, but especially women and girls, and then most especially for those who have a second life in a second home.   

Lord of the Flies by William Golding - Finally! Peter read this for sophomore English last year, so my version is rife with annotations from both George T and Peter.  It slowed me down at first, then I just ignored them and plowed on through.  What a story.  Young boys find themselves stranded on a desert island and have to figure out how to survive.  It's as good as it always was, although today's version would be so much different in style and language.  I wish I'd been reading it along with Peter, so I've got to be more diligent with Junior Year reading.  We've got The Great Gatsby coming up! 

ADVENTURELAND

Adventureland - This is a great coming of age movie in which Jessie Eisenberg takes the only summer job he can find at the local amusement park.  Once there, he quickly becomes part of the summer fabric of the place, making friends and partying. Kristen Stewart plays Em, a complicated rich girl who also happens to work there.  Of course there's the good looking young married guy who does maintenance on the machines as well as the whacky owners of the place. It's as sweet as can be. 

THE HEDGEHOG * DANIEL'S STORY

The Hedgehog - A couple of years ago, I read a wonderful book called The Elegance of the Hedgehog about a Parisian girl named Paloma and Renee, the unassuming concierge of her building.  The movie somehow incorporates more of the story of Paloma's life with her parents than I remember from the book, but brings to life the memorable Kakuro Ozu in a simple and beautiful way.  I enjoyed seeing these characters and this story come to life.  

Daniel's Story by Carol Matas - Daniel was 14 years old in 1941 when the Germans forced he and his family to leave Frankfort and resettle in Lotz, Poland.  Lotz was a ghetto with many hardships, but each time the Germans relocated Daniel, his circumstances worsened.  I will go to my grave haunted by the fact of the Holocaust and the fact that it could happen in modern society in a populous place surrounded by civilization.  I will never understand it.  This story is fiction written for young people who are studying the Holocaust in school.  It's written in the first person, but for me the most powerful stories are those that are completely true.   I wish Carol Matas would write a book about what happens to Daniel in the next years of his life, so that the young readers can look at their elders and understand that they were once young. 

BABYLON AND OTHER STORIES

Babylon and Other Stories by Alix Ohlin - My favorite of the short stories in this book was Babylon, about a woman who's entire life was a lie.  Once discovered, there is something honest about her lying though.  It's worth reading all these good stories to be able to read that one excellent story.  Each story is composed of a  character or characters living every day lives, which on the surface seem normal.  However, once we are in their thoughts and behind closed doors, the truth comes out, and a mundane life takes on new meaning.  Sometimes the meaning is just misery, but almost always, we get a feeling of hope that things are going to change in the future.  

FIFTY SHADES FREED

Fifty Shades Freed by E. L. James - This is the third book in the Fifty Shades trilogy, and you can pretty much fly through the first 3/4 of the book.  Then it actually starts getting interesting, and I love the way E. L. has finished out the series at the very end.  In five months, since meeting Christian Grey, Anastasia has come a long long way:  "And now here I am, Mrs. Christian Grey, married to the most delicious, sexy, philanthropic, absurdly wealthy mogul a woman could meet."  and "He'll always be Fifty Shades...my Fifty Shades.  Do I want him to change?  No, not really - only insofar as I want him to feel loved.  Peeking up at him, I take a moment to admire his captivating beauty...and he's mine.  And it's not just the allure of his fine, fine, face and his body that has me spellbound.  It's what's behind the perfection that draws me, that calls to me...his fragile, damaged soul."  There was also a sentence I loved that I can't locate right now.  Something about my poor damaged, megalomaniac, controlling husband.  You gotta love this stuff!  If you don't then the Fifty Shades trilogy might not be for you. 

GONE GIRL * THE CHOCOLATE MONEY

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn -  This is a fabulous murder mystery written in two voices.  Nick and Amy married and were very happy until both lost their jobs and moved from a great New York City lifestyle to Nick's hometown in Missouri.   Amy's first chapter is hooked me.  She is typical entitled New York girl, Nick is a regular guy, albeit extremely good looking.  The story will keep you wondering what each of them is going to do next, right up until the final sentence.  This book has twists and turns galore, and the alluring voices of our narrators will keep you turning the pages.  You will not forget Amy for a long long time, and if you're a guy, just be careful.  You never know what is going on in your wife's mind. 






The Chocolate Money by Ashley Prentice Norton  - This fun and smutty little read is about poor little rich girl Bettina, daughter of Chicago socialite Babs.  Babs is larger than life and a force of nature, while Bettina is just a kid trying to get any kind of attention from her mother.  It's surprisingly readable and I enjoyed every page.  Chic lit with a bite. 

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Finally!    Although my DVR was almost full and the presidential candidates were debating last night, I wanted an escape.  I loved this movie about seven senior citizens who, for various personal and financial reasons, decide to visit India for an extended stay.  They arrive to find Dev Patel as their earnest host in a hot dusty crowded foreign land.  I love that the English actors age naturally, and that a story about retirees isn't forced and slick.  Instead it's quirky and wrinkly and fun.

NO EASY DAY

No Easy Day The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen - The title says it all with this book.  For anyone who still wants to read more about the Navy SEALs after American Sniper, this book is for you.  (My husband and son are of course included in that group).  Although the news media saturated us with details about the mission, it turns out many of those details were drama and speculation.  This author describes the mission in detail from his firsthand perspective, and provides details about how well trained and well prepared our SEALs are to do the tough jobs.  He seems to resent that the president is using the capture of Bin Laden as part of his campaign.  What the author doesn't mention is that if the mission failed and any American lives had been lost, the president would have taken the heat.  I think the decision was as important as the accomplishment in this case. 
 
The blogger people have introduced a "new" and "improved" method for blog posting.  I'm still trying to get used to it, but the biggest change seems to be a worst method for bringing images into the blog.  The picture of this book is a cut and pasted, but the blog won't let me make the image smaller. So now each entry takes a few more clicks and steps to produce.  That's progress! 

THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS

The Warmth of Other Suns The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson - I wish this this Pulitzer Prize winning book had been the history book of choice for any of Peter's english or history classes these past years.  It tells the stories of three people of color who were born in the segregated and discriminatory south and follows their lives to very different lives with new freedoms in the north.  It is a history, factual and detailed, frightening and hopeful.  Ida Mae, George and Robert are real people who were part of that "greatest generation".  They never gave up;  they survived and thrived, almost more so when they were down.  The beautiful title comes from a line in a poem by Richard Wright.  This is a must read.

THE OUTLIERS

The Outliers  The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell - In this non-fiction book about the roots of financial success, Gladwell assumes that his reader thinks success, especially super success is an anomaly.  One of the many theories he advances in the book is that the month or year that someone is born contributes to their success based on other demographic statistics.  Another is that it takes 10,000 hours of practice or working at something before one masters it and is able to become successful doing it.  There are also chapters about airline crashes and communication styles in cultures, and some other stuff.  It's definitely food for thought, and I recommend it because it's interesting.   I guess I never thought that people got rich by sheer luck.  I already knew that there was an enormous amount of hard work and patience (something Malcom didn't cover in his studies) along with an impatience of personality to be successful.  There is age old wisdom that preceeds Malcom's theories:  Have you ever heard that......

Timing is Everything
Hard Work and Luck will bring you Success
The Early Bird Catches the Worm
Hard Work is the Key to Success
Do Something You Love 
Keep Your Nose To The Grindstone

I just Wikied Malcom, and he's a guy who has benefited by his own place in time, by the great story about his family heritage which you will read at the end of The Outliers, and maybe even by his young appearance.  Hard work and good timing have been in his favor. 

FIFTY SHADES DARKER

Fifty Shades Darker by E. L. James - More of the same.  Anastasia and Christian Grey continue their shenanigans.  These books are kind of like the forbidden fruit of romance novels, but I'm still not ready to give up!  What if you had a chance to be with the richest hottest guy ever?  Except there is a bit of a downside to his lifestyle.  Would you go for it?  What could E. L. James possibly cook up for the third book in the series?  I'll find out and let you know if it's any good. To be honest, there was nothing to miss here.

AMERICAN PIE TWO * AMERICAN WEDDING

Amerian Pie 2 - In this follow up to American Pie, we find our boys and their girls home from college for the summer and looking for fun.  They find it at a huge summer cottage with help from the always entertaining Stiffler.  Not as memorable as the other American Pie movies, but worth the watch if you like the characters. 

American Wedding - It isn't easy to make a good wedding movie any more since it's been done and done.  This one is really fun, though, and Stiffler comes through in the best way throughout the movie.  Who ever thought that Stiffler would be the favorite character.  It's funny and sweet and I just love the band girl bride and Jim, and don't forget that Eugene Levy is in all these movies and adds just the right touch of craziness. 

WIFE 22

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon - For some reason I didn't fly through this book, although it's very readable.  It's about a married woman with two children who signs up to take an anonymous online survey that will pay her $1000.  Maybe that's where I was a bit lost.  I often take surveys, online and in person, and have never encountered the one that pays $1000!  Wife 22 gamely proceeds to answer the questions on the survey as well as to cross some survey lines along the way.  It's a good story about marriage written in a unique modern way.  

If my little review seems stiff today, it's because blogger (blogspot) changed the game.  There is a "new and improved" screen on which to write a post, and although the old screen was not a pretty thing, this new screen leaves much to be desired.  First of all my preferred font is no longer available.  Secondly, the box that says "edit posts" is gone.  I actually started writing this post yesterday, and am unable to find my list of posts so that I can click into yesterday's writing and finish what I started.  Already there are more steps to each action.  I'm sure I'll get used to it, but the learning curve is annoying.  

BEAUTIFUL RUINS * AMERICAN PIE

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter - Sydney Sheldon for the millenium. This was a real slog to get into, but there was just enough of a tiny spark to keep me reading. Then I got into it, but more because of what I had invested than because it was such a great book to read. Many story lines, many points in time and many characters. The cover is pretty and the end was sort of good.

American Pie - The "remake" of American Grafitti is a good movie! There are some iconic scenes that were referred to in American Reunion and it's fun to watch. It's about a pact made by four high school boys culminating in their prom night.

A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas - I love Harold and Kumar. They get into their situations by accident, and their plan to make things right seems so reasonable at the time. In this movie, they are older and wiser, but even so, things get crazy as they try to straighten out the mess they've made in time for Christmas. It's an all star cast with Neil Patrick Harris and Santa adding to the fun. I love the inside jokes. There's a little girl in it who's hilarious, but if you're righteous about stuff, don't watch. If you're not righteous, this is a very funny and super fun movie. I loved it. Harold and Kumar always deliver a great buddy story. Don't wait for the season, it's on HBO now.

BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS

Behind the Beautiful Forevers - What a beautiful title for one of the more powerful stories I've read lately. It's about young and old people and families who make their lives in a slum near the Mumbai airport. Each character becomes someone you know and might understand in some way. As I read, some events were so emotional that I was glad they were taking place in a book. Right? Abdul, Asha, Manju, Kalu, One Leg and some of the other Muslim and Hindu garbage workers, as well as their slum, Annawadi, are a powerful statement of modern day poverty in what surely is still a third world country despite it's presence on the modern world economic stage. There was a surprise for me at the end of the book which made me even more sad, but which also causes me to recommend the book even more highly. Stories about life in India are so rich. Do read this one.

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

The Ultimate Gift - This movie takes its main character through greed to love. It's the story of a guy who has it all until circumstances and his grandfather give him a choice. If he accepts the choice or challenge, he will have the opportunity to receive the ultimate gift. One of those little known movies that turn out to be the best one you've watched in ages.

AMERICAN REUNION * A PARTIAL TV LINE UP

American Reunion - Here's a movie about the modern day American Pie boys attending their 13th high school reunion. It's not nearly as raunchy as I thought it would be and it's really funny and almost sweet the way the characters support each other. Fun to watch with a cast full of surprises. I'm going to watch the other two movies in the series.

Flipping Out - One of my favorite shows is back for another season on Bravo. There is something about Jeff Lewis. I love Zoila and am so happy for Jenny and her greek Dr. from Chicago. How fun!

Awkward - This is an MTV show about high school that I've been loving.

The Inbetweeners - Here's a new MTV show about four guys in high school who don't quite hold up the wall in the cafeteria, but they aren't the popular kids either.

Drop Dead Diva - I love her! The title is all wrong for the show. It's a lawyer show about a blonde model who comes back to life in an unlikely body.

The Monkees - Loved it then love it now. Bittersweet to watch knowing that Davy Jones no longer walks among us, but no less fun and goofy. This was the innocent part of the 60s and 70s.

Real World St. Thomas - MTV has grabbed a lot of my viewing time. I always love shows that take place in southern California or on beautiful islands. The cast is lovable this season and perfectly intelligent and dumb as only twenty somethings can be. It's a great show this time around.

Beverly Hills Nannies - Eh. Not so much. Probably going to cease the series recording.

Keeping up with the Kardashians - Why do I love this show? I love their family love, and their honesty even when it seems a contrived for the show. There's always a moral, and just like in many real families, even though they make each other crazy, they always come through for each other and stick together. And they're beautiful, and they live in beautiful houses, and they live in beautiful southern California.

Million Dollar Listing - Doesn't matter if it's in Los Angeles or New York, this is a good show. I am partial to the LA version for obvious reasons (see above about the Kardashians).

Secret Millionaire - This is the one that makes me cry. Almost every time and I love it. There is so much goodness in the world, and it's everywhere, and there is more good than bad. This show demonstrates it.

TV is my therapy.

THE GOOD DAUGHTER * SECRETS

The Good Daughter A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden LIfe by Jasmin Darznik - This memoir takes place in Iran in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and then in small part in America, where a daughter discovers a photo of her mother as a young girl. The photo raises questions about her mother's life before she married the girl's father. A long kept secret is at the core of this memoir, and as the secret is revealed, there is a window of time wherein choices are available to the discoverer of the secret. Is the secret so old that there is no more to learn about it? Or is the secret one that now out in the open, can free the people to know each other and knit their lives back together? I'm interested in what happens to the secrets once revealed, and what choices are made by the person to whom the secret is revealed. It's also a story of a different culture and different generations, and how there are always forward thinkers navigating backward societies. It's those forward thinkers that propel cultures ahead by believing in educating girls. Throughout this memoir, there is much to ponder, because theirs was a male-driven society. The girls get ahead almost as if they slip through the cracks by chance, but almost never by choice. This is definitely worth reading.

Do you have secrets?

CONTAGION * THE ALL OF IT

Contagion - HBO has paid for itself this month with the movie offerings. I'm happy not to have rented or otherwise paid to see Contagion, but it was fun to spot Peter's grade school in the movie, and to know that the snow on the ground in many of the scenes was fake. The concept of the movie is good. What if a contagious disease that causes death in a matter of days and that hadn't yet been identified, tore through our lives? The movie follows Matt Damon, whose wife is one of the first to die, as well as workers at the Center for Disease Control as they realize the seriousness of the disease then work to combat it. It's good, just slow moving at times, with some story lines that fritter out, and many aspects that are only dealt with visually and with slow music. Maybe the idea was to convey how even though the disease kills quickly, the aftermath lingers.

The All of It by Jeannette Haien - This short novel is told in a lovely Irish brogue, and It's the story of Father Declan de Loughry of the town of Roonatellin, and his parishioners, Enda and Kevin. It's got a bit of foul weather fishing in it and the story of a secret kept for many years. It's filled with emotion and love, and there's something musical about way it's written that makes it just charming.

THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian - This is a fictional love story told against the backdrop of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. It's a good story, but I'm having trouble with it on a number of levels that are causing me to think and rethink about the Ottoman Empire and the Genocide of 1915, as well as the 1922 Catastrophe (turkish slaughter of Greeks and Armenians in Smyrna that my grandmother witnessed and survived) and how stories are told. First, there is the matter of a male author posing as a female writer in her first person voice. I think he did it so that he could show more sympathy to the Genocide. He's a very chatty female, but with a male bent, and at one point, the modern day Armenian American narrator tells us that "...Apparently I have fallen more deeply under the sway of what happened to my family than I might have expected to when I first started this story, given the pride I have always taken in my writerly jadedness.)" (p 237) And then there's the problem of the title and book cover which convey something lighthearted or happy. There wasn't a better title for this than The Sandcastle Girls?
If you want to learn about the Armenian Genocide, perhaps this will be your starting point, and perhaps that was the author's intent all along. If so, then know that the story is imaginative and readable, and that you will enjoy the characters.
Genocide is tragic ugly stain on humanity whenever it occurs, and just because almost 100 years have passed since the Armenian Genocide, it is no less wrong than it was at the time it was happening. It's time for the Turkish government to own this part of their history and to teach it in their schools so that it will never happen again. The continued denial is frustrating, sad, dishonest, and hateful. It really did happen.

SHELTER * WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER * J. EDGAR

Shelter by Frances Greenslade - Shelter transports the reader to the wilds of British Columbia in Canada during the 1950s to 1970s. It's narrated by Maggie, a girl secure in her happy life with her attentive parents and loving sister. They live in a way that nowadays would be called "off the grid", but thenadays was a way people lived outside of town or in the bush. The story is excellent and the bonus is that you get to learn about a different way of life in a beautiful rough landscape of forests and trees, lakes and rivers, terrain and seasons. It's also about people looking out for each other, and how their lives cross in seemingly casual ways with long term and serious results. Maggie tells the story without shock or apology, even when the stories within the story get on dangerous or shaky ground. This is a really good book.

What's Your Number - HBO finally brought in some new movies this summer, and this little Anna Faris chick flick is fun to watch. She's a sweet girl with a fun past who realizes that while things are adding up, her future is bearing down.

J. Edgar - Leonardo DiCaprio playing J. Edgar Hoover directed by Clint Eastwood. So happy I didn't take the time to see this at the theater. It's slow moving, just like Edgar himself as he aged. It's about a guy who got ahead because he worked hard and methodically, and kept himself in a position of power by knowing and keeping secrets. Sometimes good goes bad. The man was so private that it causes me to doubt the accuracy and truthfulness of this man's life.

ANTOINE GOLD AND THE ROLLS ROYCE

Antoine Gold and the Rolls Royce and other Bankruptcy Stories by Harold Taxel - This book of short stories was very enlightening for a number of reasons. It's written by a bankruptcy trustee who is assigned business bankruptcy cases by the U.S. Court. Essentially he owns the business while he figures out where the money went and which bills the business can pay. These cases are fictional but based on real cases experienced by this trustee. Here are some life lessons to learn from this book, which I already knew, but which many people never learn. First of all, when something looks like it is too good to be true, it probably is. If someone is working hard to convince you of something, it may very well be a lie. The harder the person tries to convince, the more dishonest they could be. Pay your bills, don't owe money. Don't buy what you cannot afford in cash right now. Don't tell anyone how much you have, because if they are a bad guy, they will try to get the money from you somehow. There you have it: my review of this silly little book of stories about scumbags is the herheartonhersleeve way to hang on to what you have, because it's more than you will have if you let it go. Pretty simple.

MARY ANN IN AUTUMN

Mary Ann in Autumn by Armistead Maupin - I enjoyed this San Francisco story about a cast of characters that other readers have been meeting in the Tales of the City series for years. It is a mystery comprised of a few threads, and the question as one reads is whether the mystery might come together at some point. The characters are from all walks of life, and their paths are varied. I wanted to know the characters better, but their distance was OK since in the city, people are often separate from one another. The author let me know that their relationships to each other were valid and meaningful, and ultimately, that is the most important thing. It's a good book.

ORPHAN IN THE SANDS

Orphan in the Sands by Virginia Haroutunian - It so happened that the copy of this book that Valerie found for me on Amazon (after years of searching), is signed by the author. The inscription reads "To Helen Kelly As we gaze into the future, its our past that holds the key. Virginia Haroutunian January 19, 2001". This is an autobiographical family history about a mother and her daughter. The mother was a refugee from the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and the story tells in personal detail how personal tragedy can affect future generations. Virginia is the daughter, and she is unfailingly honest in her self-explorations. Outwardly there is never anything wrong; it's the inner turmoil we carry that truly shapes our selves. It's a beautiful moment when she finally unlocks the doors with the key to her mother's hidden past. Her experience is probably more common than we know, because secrets and hidden pasts are such troublesome burdens for those who carry them. I'm so happy to have finally read this book, the review of which I cut out from a Michigan Alumnus magazine more than ten years ago. Thanks Valerie. Now we have to look for one called From Van to Detroit: Surviving the Armenian Genocide by Souren Aprahamian. Wish us luck. It doesn't seem to be anywhere.

THE BUDDHA IN THE ATTIC * THE AMERICAN HEIRESS

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka - The Buddha in the Attic is about Japanese immigrants to America at the beginning of the 20th century. It's specifically about women, and it's written in an engaging, flowing style, compsed of many voices. Each sentence could be a paragraph, a chapter, or even an entire novel. With all these voices coming together as a chorus of experiences, many separate stories become one. It's a beautiful tapestry of a certain time and place in American history.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin - I was going on vacation, and I needed a book! The cover and title attracted me, while the designation as New York Times Bestseller sealed the deal. It's a vanilla romance about Cora, an educated mid-1800s debutante with a pushy mother. Vanilla is a nice flavor, and it was an easy read that I didn't want to put down. Daisy writes a page turner - perfect reading for when you don't want to think or learn too much.

SIGNS AND WONDERS

Signs and Wonders by Alex Ohlin - This is a book of wonderful short stories, at once modern and timeless. They aren't overly dramatic, just very real, with characters who get you into and out of their lives efficiently and thoughtfully. Each story is individual and populated by men, women and children. I thoroughly enjoyed these glimpses into lives and thoughts and heads; it's written with intelligence and just the smallest bit of a quirky edge.

A LESSON IN SECRETS

A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear - This nice little mystery takes place in London and Cambridge in 1932. Maisie Dobbs is the detective with connections to Scotland Yard, and she is sent on an undercover mission to a college whose mission is to promote peace in the aftermath of WWI. It actually got better as I read, and I'm almost tempted to read some of the previous Maisie Dobbs books, but I don't think I will. I have a feeling this is a filler story between her more dramatic missions set against the strife of war. Enjoyable and recommended if this is your genre.

BORN GUILTY

Born Guilty - Children of Nazi Families by Peter Sichrovsky - In the 1980s Peter Sichrovsky interviewed children of Nazis, who were born at the end of or after World War II. These interviews take the form of first person accounts answering questions about how the child felt when learning that their parent was a Nazi or SS officer. These young adults carried much guilt for the roles their parents played in the war. In most cases they had no idea what their parents had done, since in almost every case, the parent claimed a minor role as part of the SS machine, and denied their role in the Holocaust. So many of the children asked themselves why they were born, considering their parents' cruelty, facism, racism and denial. At the end of the book, Sichrovsky gives a possible explanation for the parents' views.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James - Of course I read it. And guess what, I've read it before. Oh...not this exact book, but many like it, because this is what women read in the 1980s and it was called the romance novel. Fabio was on the cover, and in between the pages was an innocent yet sassy young girl and the older well built hunk who beguiles and deflowers her. They constantly misunderstand each other and each others' motives and the formulaic story advances. I must say that this modern take with the 9 1/2 Weeks theme is a fun read, and just good enough that I've reserved the next book in the trilogy. I mean after all, I have to find out what happens, right? By the way, this is not a book to be taken seriously. Either enjoy it or put it down, but please don't tell me it's serious. All right then! On to Fifty Shades Darker.

MOONLIGHT KINGDOM

Moonlight Kingdom - Excellent Excellent Excellent! I loved this crazy little story about a strange little island and quirky people and starcrossed runaways in 1965. It's charming and nice and watchable and just a little different with that Wes Anderson twist. Enjoy this charming story.